From "I am thinking about it" to keys in your hand. Every step, every cost, and the places buyers in {market} get surprised.
Most buying guides are written to make you feel ready. This one is written so nothing surprises you. Read it once now, then come back to the section you are in.
Online calculators show you principal and interest and stop. The real monthly number adds property tax, homeowners insurance, flood insurance where it applies, and HOA dues. In many markets those add-ons are a third of the payment.
Run your own numbers in the affordability calculator, which includes every line item, then pick a ceiling and stop looking above it. Buyers who look $50,000 above their number buy $50,000 above their number.
Florida note. Property taxes reset to the purchase price when you buy, so the seller’s tax bill tells you nothing about yours. Ask us to estimate the post-sale bill, and file for the homestead exemption after closing; it caps how fast your assessment can rise.
A pre-qualification is a conversation. A pre-approval is an underwriter looking at your pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements and credit. Sellers know the difference, and in a competitive situation the pre-approved offer wins the tie.
You get a free report every week from each bureau. Fix errors before a lender sees them; a disputed line can stall an approval for weeks.
Rates move daily and fees differ more than rates do. Compare the loan estimate line by line, not the headline rate. Our financing guide explains each line.
Large deposits need a paper trail. Gifts need a letter. Opening a credit card for the furniture can cost you the loan. Freeze your financial life until closing.
Decide on three non-negotiables and write them down. Commute, school zone, no HOA, a yard for the dog, whatever they are. Everything else is a preference, and preferences trade against price. Most buyers who feel stuck are stuck because they have eight non-negotiables.
Start with the city guides, then save a search.
See homes in person before you fall for photos. Wide lenses make rooms lie. Walk the street at 6pm on a weekday. Stand in the backyard and listen.
Price is one term of about ten. Closing date, inspection period, financing contingency, appraisal gap, what stays with the house, earnest money, and who pays which closing costs all matter to a seller, and a flexible offer at a fair price often beats a rigid one at a higher price.
We pull the actual sold comparables, not the asking prices, before we write a number. Ask to see them. If a listing is overpriced, the comps are how you explain your offer without insulting anyone.
Hire your own inspector, never one the seller suggests. Attend the inspection. The report will list forty items; three will matter. Roof, electrical panel, plumbing, HVAC age and any sign of water are the ones that cost real money.
Florida note. Ask for the wind mitigation report and the four-point inspection during this period. Insurers require them on most homes and they change the premium by hundreds of dollars a year. A roof older than about 15 years can be uninsurable with some carriers; find out before your inspection period ends, not after.
Get a real quote, bound to the address, before your inspection period ends. Premiums vary by roof age, construction type, distance to water and claims history, and a bad quote is a legitimate reason to renegotiate or walk. Flood insurance is a separate policy whether or not the lender requires it; a home can flood outside a designated flood zone.
Three days before closing you receive the Closing Disclosure. Compare it to the loan estimate line by line. Numbers should match or have a reason. Wire instructions come from the title company by phone, never by email alone; wire fraud is real and the money does not come back.
Walk through the home the day before or the morning of closing. Everything that was supposed to stay should be there, everything that was supposed to be fixed should be fixed, and the house should be in the condition you contracted for. Then sign, and the keys are yours.
Thirty minutes on the phone: goals, budget, timeline. No pressure, no pitch, and you leave with a plan.
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